STAY CONNECTED

We don’t say it enough to you all. We LOVE all of our readers, and we appreciate so much how you support the work we do here at the Disney Food Blog. Seriously — we couldn’t and wouldn’t do it without you!

And so, every once in a while, we love to share an opportunity to win something special. But this time, we gotta say — we’ve outdone ourselves.

The limited-time vessels are a mash-up Tiki-Haunted Mansion creation, and people are losing their minds over them. They’ve already sold out at both Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar in Disneyland (although they are expecting more on the West Coast around Halloween) and Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto in Walt Disney World. And with people waiting in line for hours to get theirs, it’s clear that Disney has struck gold here. [Read more…]

That’s right… we paid a visit to Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto to check out a new Epcot Food and Wine Festival Special Event that’s NOT happening at Epcot. While Signature Dining Events have long been held in and around various restaurants on property, this year is the first time that Special Events have expanded to Disney World Resorts. These debut offerings include Brunch with a Twist at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, The Secrets of Flavor at Disney’s Yacht Club, Culinary Adventures with a Master Chef at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and the Special Event we’re reviewing today: Behind the Scenes of Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.

Of all the new Resort Special Events, this sold-out option (at a cost of $99.00 per guest) was likely the most in demand, held on four select Wednesdays from 12:00 Noon – 2:00 PM. Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto has been a HUGE hit with Disney World guests since it opened in March of 2015 due to its interactive Tiki-themed atmosphere, crafty cocktails and popular souvenir mugs. An added bonus for Disney fans is that this place is chock-full of nostalgia and Disney history… so much so that it can really help to have a cast of high-energy Skippers at hand to point some of them out (all while mixing drinks and serving up some delicious eats, of course).

So join us once again as we step inside the Grog Grotto…

Behind the Scenes of Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto

…to show you a little bit about what happens behind the scenes at Trader Sam’s! [Read more…]

Are you the designated driver in your crew, or do you just prefer your fun without alcohol?

If so, we have GREAT news. Disney offers tons (and we mean tons!) of Non-Alcoholic Drinks, or Mocktails. And we’re not just talkin’ Shirley Temples here. Following the current hot trend, many of the drinks offer the same attention to flavor and artistry as craft cocktails — sans liquor.

Want to try out a few for yourself? Then you’ll want to check out our Mocktail Crawl! It’s just one of the fun food adventures that you can embark on, thanks to the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-Book! If you love what you see here, check out our newly updated DFB Guide for even more great suggestions. And to celebrate our early launch of the 2017 DFB Guide, we’re offering it for a limited time at 20% off with promo code SAVE2017!

UPDATE: From our discussions with cast members and feedback from readers, it seems that the Tiki mugs are sold out and won’t be returning. But be sure to call the Polynesian directly to double check if you’re in dire need of a mug.

We did it! We made it through the first week of 2016! It’s always a rough transition back into the post-holiday routine but so far this year is looking fantastic! We’ve been live streaming a TON in the parks through our @DisneyFoodBlog Periscope account, so come on over and join us!

Dressed Up Waffle!

If you were running in any of the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend events this weekend, we salute you!

And not that we’re counting down or anything but there are about 53 days until the 2016 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival. The fun starts March 2 and we can’t wait to visit the Outdoor Kitchens to check out the springtime eats this year!

There’s only a week left in October – how is that possible? That means you only have a few more weeks to get to the 2015 Epcot Food and Wine Festival! The Festival ends on November 16!

Carrot Cake Cupcake

Halloween is almost over at Disney World and Disneyland, but there’s still time to get to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and enjoy all the sweet Halloween treats! But hurry because soon the gingerbread houses and holiday lights will be up!

Check out all the latest Disney Food News — even the stuff we don’t mention in posts on the blog! — on our Disney Food News Pin Board, including menu updates, restaurant closures, special events, and more!

This post is part of the DFB #OnTheList series, where we feature eats you’ve GOT to have while you’re at Disney! Let us know what’s on YOUR Disney Food Bucket List @DisneyFoodBlog #OnTheList!

“Welcome to the mystery, romance, and adventure of Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto. Here on the shores of paradise, our seafaring friend established this happy hideaway for all to enjoy!”

#OnTheList: Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto

Aside from proudly boasting his offer of TWO of his heads for one ofyours, everyone’s favorite Head Salesman from the beloved Jungle Cruise attraction — Trader Sam — has one more bragging right to add to his list: Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto is #OnTheList this week! [Read more…]

Sure, we may have said “So long” to the Flower and Garden Festival for this year, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to look forward to at Walt Disney World! Springs moves to summer as Disney World gears up for the busy vacation season, otherwise known as the “Coolest Summer Ever”!

Like last year, several temporary pop-up bars can be found all over the park for the weekend events.

Star Wars Weekends Pop-up Bar

However, they feature all-new drinks this year. Each bar serves two out of of four drinks: The Mustafar and The Tatooine, or The Endor and The Alderaan.

Star Wars Weekends Specialty Drinks

Star Wars Weekends Specialty Drinks

We’ll be taking a closer look at those beverages soon, but once again this year, it’s ALL about the souvenir glow cubes: drinks come with either a Millennium Falcon glow cube or your very own mini Death Star.

Believe it or not, though, it’s not all Star Wars at Hollywood Studios… we’ve got some regular ol’ menu changes at some favorite Table Service restaurants to report as well. Sci-Fi Dine-In has added the Sci-Fi Popcorn Treat to the appetizer selection. It’s popcorn soup (for watching those old movies, of course!) with buffalo popcorn chicken and celery sticks, drizzled with blue cheese dressing.

Sci-Fi Dine-In

New entrees include Grilled Marinated Salmon, while the Veggie Burger got a [Read more…]

Hey all! Well, the Disney Food news this week was expansive, diverse, and dramatic. We saw tons of comments and feedback on the just-announced 2015 Walt Disney World Free Dining offer.

And readers were equally passionate about the news that Ghirardelli Soda Fountain at both Disney California Adventure and Disney World’s Downtown Disney would no longer be offering peanut products. While we will miss their delicious Gold Rush Sundae, many readers with allergy concerns are excited about this new development.

We also saw some much-anticipated news out of Disney’s Animal Kingdom about all the new stuff happening there! Let’s check it out.

Check out all the latest Disney Food News — even the stuff we don’t mention in posts on the blog! — on our Disney Food News Pin Board, including the latest menu updates, restaurant closures, special events, and more!

We’ve got all the latest for you, so check it out before you go.

DFB Reader Finds

If you find a fun new food — or other edible awesomeness — in or about Disney, share a photo with us on facebook or twitter so we can add it to our DFB Reader Finds each Sunday!

OK — so you have a Walt Disney World Trip on the books for this year — Woohoo!! There’s nothing more exciting than counting down the days to your next Walt Disney World Trip!

But, even the most spontaneous Disney fan knows that planning ahead is the key to a stress-less vacay. And that mantra is absolutely true when it comes to dining.

If you really want to dine in the hottest restaurants, you pretty much have to plan ahead. Be spontaneous, of course. But get a couple Advance Dining Reservations in place.

But which ones?

That’s where Disney Food Blog comes in! You already enjoy our reviews, news, and tips daily on our Blog. But did you know — that’s JUST the tip of the iceberg. Because we have lots more to share with you in our complete line of DFB Guides.

If you’re ready for a fun, easy way to personalize eating and drinking your way through Disney, then check out the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World® Dining 2015 e-Book.
Fully updated for your 2015-2016 adventures, the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World® Dining 2015 e-Book is an instantly downloadable PDF guide, featuring over 490 full-color pages of photographs, information, and advice about our favorite subject — Eating Your Way Through Disney! So you save time and money as you enjoy planning one of the most important parts of your trip.

And to thank all of you for your support of DFB, we are offering extra savings on our most popular DFB Guide right now. Just enter promo code 2015 at checkout and you’ll save $4 off of our cover price of the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World® Dining 2015 e-Book!

But if you’d like to enjoy even more detail, check out another great offer.

DFB Everything Bundle SALE!

If you’d like even more great information, pictures, and tips, then the DFB Everything Bundle is the right fit for you.